


From Past to Present

by yawawoo



Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Curses, Developing Relationship, M/M, Magic, Mentions of Blood, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Wars, Were-Creatures, Wizards and Elves
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-11
Updated: 2018-05-18
Packaged: 2019-05-05 05:47:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,938
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14610783
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yawawoo/pseuds/yawawoo
Summary: Wizard Yoo Kihyun, who had been living in seclusion for years, did not know that saving a stranger who collapsed at his door on one stormy summer night would lead to many adventures he did not ask for.





	1. The Storm

**Author's Note:**

> For Wilma ♥
> 
> Beta'ed by the amazing [averyblue](https://archiveofourown.org/users/averyblue/pseuds/averyblue)
> 
> Title is from [this Skyrim soundtrack](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Vqa2BczUps).

The late summer storm was raging outside, lightning flashing and thunder shaking Kihyun’s window panes, when the man felt an unknown being enter his outer wards. From his kitchen, Kihyun looked at  Changkyun, who was curled up in front of his fireplace, peacefully dozing with a hand on his full stomach after dinner, his dark grey ears twitching and his fluffy tail swishing on the carpeted floor.

The werewolf must not have heard the trespasser; the rain was also very loud, coming down heavily with what Kihyun imagined were raindrops as large as his fists. Kihyun placed down the cooling pot of potato and chicken soup he was about to put away for tomorrow, frowning as he took off his kitchen mitts to put a palm on the carved rune on the wooden floor in the middle of the room. He closed his eyes, concentrating. The being’s energy was greater  than an animal’s—it was strong with magic too. The wizard’s frown deepened. Could this be the day they found him?

Kihyun was just about to bolt up and prepare for the worst when he felt a burst of emotions from the being; as it got closer, Kihyun could feel that it radiated fear and helplessness. Kihyun settled back down on his knees, deciding to keep tracking its movements while recalling the most effective spells he could use if the worst happened. No one had ever gotten this close to his inner wards; he made a good job of putting up an illusion of a cluster of very big and dangerous looking trees to hide his house. Kihyun made it look as ominous as possible that stray travelers who happened to set foot on the vicinity of his home never once tried to go past it even during the day. Kihyun couldn’t understand why someone would approach it when it was dark outside, much less in such a terrible weather. No one but small animals had gone this close in years.

The mysterious presence went past Kihyun’s last and innermost ward; someone who’d gone this far would be able to see Kihyun’s house and the warm yellow light that escaped from the tiny gaps between his curtains. Kihyun opened his eyes and stared at his front door—there were extra protection spells set up, but it would only react to ill intents. And so Kihyun waited for someone to knock on his door, not taking his eyes off the sturdy teak door, hands curled up into tight balls on his sides.

It felt like hours before something happened. Kihyun had never directly come in contact with anyone other than Changkyun for the last five years. He expected a knock, but he didn’t know what would follow. What he didn’t expect, however, was the muted, heavy thud that came from his door after quite some time. Kihyun wasn’t sure what kind of a noise that was.

Kihyun could see Changkyun sitting up from his spot on the carpet, eyes and ears alert. The red-haired wizard took a deep breath and started to approach the door, but Changkyun’s words stopped him. “Do you want me to see who’s outside? You look really nervous.”

Kihyun turned to him, then shook his head. “No. I’ll see who it is myself.”

Changkyun didn’t say anything else, but he got up on his feet and padded silently to stand behind Kihyun. The older man gave him a nod, a silent thanks, then together they move cautiously toward the door. The curved copper door handle was cold to the touch. Kihyun glanced at his locks and made them unlock, then he pulled his door open.

The wind was stronger than he thought and it pushed at the door from the outside, forcing Kihyun to open his door wider than he intended. But maybe it was also because of the limp body leaning against it—a completely drenched and a very filthy body of a man, now slumped on Kihyun’s doorway and half on his bare feet, dripping rainwater and mud and perhaps a bit of blood onto the doormat and floors. Kihyun didn’t recoil, but he gasped and stared at the hooded figure from head to toe. He was so shocked he barely felt the painful droplets of water hitting his face or the angry wind that extinguished a few of his candles.

“Kihyun-hyung!” Changkyun had to scream in his ear and shake him to get him out of his shock.

The wizard snapped back into reality, blinking rainwater from his eyes. “Changkyun-ah, help me carry this person. Let’s put him in front of the fireplace,” Kihyun said, already putting his hands under the man’s arms and dragging him as best as he can inside, away from the raging Nature outside.

Changkyun closed the door and manually locked it before grabbing the man’s booted legs and hauling him up. Halfway through the living room, Changkyun stepped on the man’s cloak which had been trailing on the floor and leaving a wet line. It came off easily, and it revealed a lean man with soaked blond hair clinging to his pale face. Kihyun couldn’t see him clearly from his position, just the top of his head, until they laid him down carefully on the carpet Changkyun just occupied earlier.

“What do we do now?” Changkyun asked, but Kihyun stayed silent as he kneeled beside this unconscious stranger. Kihyun observed his overall appearance, starting from his face. Kihyun had a distant voice in his head telling him that the man had very beautiful features, but the grimace on his face, his seemingly pained frown, concerned Kihyun more. He was obviously shivering, his lower lips jutting out and trembling, his breath coming out in heavy exhales.

“Feed the fire, Changkyun-ah. And set water to boil,” Kihyun instructed, settling to a more comfortable position and checking for the man’s pulse. When Kihyun leaned in closer to check any head injuries and pushed the man’s long bangs back, he finally noticed his long and pointy ears. _An elven kind_. “Changkyun-ah, he’s—”

However, before Kihyun could say anything else, a loud growl came from the elf’s stomach.

After a few seconds of stunned silence, Kihyun looked at Changkyun who was also frozen on his spot, firewood in his arms. “Heat up the soup, too, while you’re at it,” Kihyun sighed, already prepared for a long night ahead.

 

* * *

 

Kihyun had left Changkyun to keep an eye on the man as he went to his workshop at the back of the house to look for some additional herbs he couldn’t find in his kitchen. He’d have to grind some paste to treat the blooming bruises on the man’s sides and ribs. Kihyun found them, as well as a few healing gashes on the man’s arms, when he unbuttoned the man’s ruined silk shirt and wiped mud off his skin. He and Changkyun had done their best in ridding him of his clothes and boots, going as far as putting a towel under his head to help dry his hair. Kihyun had also cleaned and bandaged the narrow, open gash on his left thigh.

The man was now left only in the tight inner pants which Kihyun assumed was his undergarment. It would be impolite to strip him off completely; Kihyun knew he wouldn’t want a stranger, no matter how kind, to just see him naked without his consent. He might have used a bit of magic to dry the fabric faster. It would be bad for his leg wound if it stayed damp, not to mention uncomfortable. As Kihyun rummaged through his shelves for his bottle of witch hazel, he wondered why he cared so much.

With ingredients in hand, Kihyun came back to the living room to find the man still unconscious, seemingly unmoving from under the thick wool blanket Changkyun had wrapped him in. The raven-haired werewolf was perched on the long fluffy seat lined in front of the blazing fire, chin on one knee and dutifully keeping an eye on their unexpected visitor. Kihyun followed his urge to get closer and check on the elf.

“He’s no longer shivering at least,” Changkyun said to him, and Kihyun nodded. He thanked Changkyun for setting the soup to warm, filling the room with a rich smell once again. The younger man even prepared a bowl, a spoon and a tall porcelain cup on the low table beside the seat.

Kihyun was just about to turn to go back to his herbs when the man moved, his leg twitching under the light brown blanket. His head was moving from side to side, his frown coming back to scrunch up his face, restless as if he was seeing terrible things behind his eyelids where traces of golden eye paint glinted under the flickering fire. Kihyun and Changkyun both tensed, readying themselves for a sudden outburst of uncontrolled power; they didn’t know how trained the elf was in reigning his magic. Kihyun was unfortunately very familiar with powerful, impulsive elves who just let their magic lash out whenever they were upset. He had no reason to think that this one here wouldn’t do the same.

“If he lashes out, you know what to do,” Kihyun said to Changkyun stiffly, already thinking that he should regret bringing the man in just like that. He hated how sometimes his mind just stopped working when he panicked. His tendency to overthink never came at the right time.

It felt almost disappointing when nothing happened; no explosion of raw elven magic, no shouting, nothing. The man calmed down after exhaling a loud sigh. And from there, Kihyun and Changkyun witnessed his slow waking.

His eyes open slowly; Kihyun couldn’t really make out the color of his irises because of the reflected light from the fireplace. It was a little strange how he yawned and tried to stretch like he just woke up from a nice, long nap before his mouth opened into a soundless wince. Kihyun imagined he must be able to feel all his bruises now. It’s amazing how he managed to lift his arms all the way up before feeling the pull from his ribs.

The man squinted at the ceiling and flattened his lips, and faint dimples formed around his mouth. He blinked again before finally frowning and _finally_ noticing the other two men in the room. Sitting up, his eyes first landed on Kihyun, getting wider by the second—his irises were dark brown, and it was peculiar how Kihyun could make out the hazel and green specks in them, saw them sparkle, and reel him in with an unknown power. Having lived in seclusion for years, away from the world outside of his home, had made Kihyun forget how plainly gorgeous the elven kinds were.

He stared at Kihyun for a long time—or at least, that was what it felt like to the wizard until he’d collected himself enough to glance at Changkyun, before finding himself staring back into those doe-like eyes again. There was an undecipherable look on the blond man’s face, and Kihyun was not sure what he felt about it.

At last, the strange tension between them broke when Changkyun cleared his throat, and the elf’s gaze finally fell on him. If Changkyun’s ears and tail surprised him, he didn’t show it. The slight tilt of his head felt more like a greeting.

“So…” Changkyun trailed off, his deep voice distinct in the room and among the noise outside. The storm had not ceased.

“So,” Kihyun repeated in a surer voice, addressing his visitor with squared shoulders, like he would when he wasn’t sure how to react in front of someone unexpected. “State your name and origins, elf.”

Said man blinked at him, and Kihyun thought he must have troubles understanding him. Kihyun hadn’t spoken in elven tongue since forever, and it would take him some time to recall his vocabulary. Before Kihyun could repeat himself, the man opened his mouth, but no sound came out. He closed his eyes and frowned, as if forgetting something important.

Kihyun and Changkyun jumped simultaneously when the elf suddenly jumped to his feet, and he let the woolen blanket fall off his frame. Kihyun’s eyes were wide as he tracked his movements. His exposed chest was a little distracting, but a hand waving in front of his face caught his attention.

“Wh-what are you doing?!” Kihyun demanded, but the man just shook his head. Kihyun finally noticed his hand movements; he was mimicking writing something on a piece of paper with his palm upwards and his other hand holding an imaginary quill. He then put his hands together and made a begging gesture. _Please_ , he said with his eyes.

Well, he was strange, but at least he had manners.

And so the night found the three men sitting around Kihyun’s round dining table. Kihyun had to put off preparing his healing concoction for the occasion, and the man seemed to be in less pain than he imagined. Changkyun had brewed three cups of homemade chamomile tea, and the stranger’s eyes lit up brightly at the steaming chipped cup the werewolf placed in front of him. Kihyun watched him take quick, tiny little sips, his eyes closing as if he was drinking pure nectar from the most hardworking forest bees. When the man finally put his cup down, Kihyun slid a blank sheet of parchment and a quill dipped in an inkwell wordlessly. The man stared at the writing tools, sighing forlornly with a long look clouding his face.

He reached for the items, and the blanket he had around his shoulders slipped. He fixed them and held onto them with his left hand while his right moved to pen down elegant cursives. Kihyun and Changkyun both leaned in curiously.

It read:

_Good evening. I thank you for saving me, gentlemen. I will forever be indebted to you, but I am afraid this will not be the last burden I will put upon you._

And as if on cue, the man’s stomach growled again, this time louder and longer and accompanied with a sheepish grin (wow, very nice _teeth_ there, Kihyun thought) and a reddening face. Changkyun didn’t even bother hiding his snicker.

“I will serve you food once you’ve introduced yourself,” Kihyun said, trying not to give into his urge to just feed this man in front of him.

The man nodded, an embarrassed smile still lighting up his face, and continued to write.

 _I am Minhyuk, the Prince_   _of Allin, the Elven Kingdom of Light._

Kihyun and Changkyun looked at each other, their shocked expressions mirroring each other, although the name of the kingdom meant a lot more to Kihyun than to the werewolf. Kihyun stared at _Minhyuk_ and _Allin_ and felt like there was something he must be remembering.

“The Prince of Allin? Isn’t that place a week away from here, if not more?” Changkyun asked in disbelief.

_Yes. And I have been cursed with silence. I don’t have yet a clear idea of how to lift it, but I know for sure there is a cure._

The elf—Minhyuk, looked up to gauge his saviors’ reaction, but they were still looking down at his writing with different expressions. Kihyun’s was intense, and it was as if everyone in the room could hear the gears in his head work. “Do go on,” Kihyun said finally.

_However, there is a more pressing matter. The reason why I am here…_

Suddenly the room grew tense as Minhyuk stopped writing, and some candles in the room flickered. A faint, dark red aura was emanating from the blond elf prince. He was biting his lower lip, and Kihyun could see his eyes glistening with unshed tears.

_…is because my kingdom was attacked. I escaped and now I have nowhere else to go._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Hopefully I can deliver weekly/bi-weekly update!
> 
> So this all started because I really wanted to write Kihyun feeding Minhyuk good stuff... and there will be lots of Kihyun cooking I guess... uh. Aside from magic and adventures ahead! I'm not very eloquent in author notes but I'm slightly better on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/hyunghyukheon)!! Also I suck at naming things if you haven't realized and I don't even know about the title. Okay. Well. Hopefully this is interesting enough for you to stick around! Other members will show, eventually! Let's revive the Kihyuk tag! :'D
> 
> Kudos and comments are highly appreciated ( ; w ; )/


	2. The Deal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kihyun made some decisions and some more good food. Then, a deal was made.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy! :D  
> I hope this can brighten your day :D
> 
> Beta'ed by the amazing [averyblue](https://archiveofourown.org/users/averyblue/pseuds/averyblue)

Kihyun stared at the clean strokes of Minhyuk’s cursive on the parchments. He wondered if life as a prince had conditioned him to write prettily no matter what condition he was in. Minhyuk had managed to recount his misfortune in one and a half pages before his stomach growled again and his face scrunched up in pain. There was only one single ink blot from where he stopped writing to rub at his stomach.

The elf prince was now happily drinking Kihyun’s chicken and potato soup directly from the bowl, sitting cross-legged in front of the fire, shrouded in the thick blanket still—well, he wrote beautifully but his hunger was clearly more important than manners. Had they met under different circumstances, Kihyun would definitely say something about it, but Minhyuk was a _prince_ and a _stranger_ and the wizard just didn’t know where they stood yet. He watched silently from the dining table as Changkyun poured Minhyuk another bowl with an amused look on his face. Minhyuk noticed him looking, and he shot him another wide, wide smile, glowing brighter and stronger now that his stomach was warm and filled, and Kihyun quickly looked away to pretend he was reading over the parchments busily.

Actually, Kihyun had already pored over the prince’s story and memorized almost every word written. He stared at the characters without actually reading them, frowning. He kept getting the urge to steal glances to of the mute—well, temporarily—man. But he forced himself to think about more important things. Right. _What is Minhyuk going to do now? What am_ I _going to do now? What_ should _I do?_ Kihyun figured that it was better to ask the elf directly since avoiding the topic wouldn’t get him anywhere, so he got up from his dining chair and went to join the other men in front of the fire. He didn’t forget to bring the writing tools with him.

Changkyun looked at him approach, but Minhyuk was engrossed in trying to catch the last piece of chicken in his bowl with his tongue. Kihyun grimaced. He flicked a finger and the spoon Minhyuk had abandoned near his feet moved to poke the prince’s foot. Minhyuk stopped what he was doing and looked down with wide eyes, a comical look on his face. He then picked up the spoon and smiled toothily at Kihyun. The wizard suddenly felt like he had two puppies in the house.

Kihyun waited until the prince put down his bowl and spoon on the floor in front of him, letting out a satisfied sigh while doing so. Something like pride swelled in Kihyun’s chest; it always felt good whenever people—well, just Changkyun actually—looked so happy after eating his cooking. It was particularly rewarding knowing that an elf prince, who was probably used to being served only the best delicacies, found _his_ simple soup good. But, well, it could be because he probably hadn’t had a proper meal since he ran out of gold nearly four days ago, being on the run and all, but Kihyun was as confident in his cooking as in his herb-mixing skills. Kihyun opened his mouth because he still needed the validation, trying to sound nonchalant, “Is the food to your liking?”

Minhyuk licked his lips and made a gesture of kissing the tips of his fingers and almost saluting, then he put a hand on his chest. He was so expressive even without speaking that Kihyun wondered if perhaps the writing tools were unnecessary. Minhyuk quickly mouthed, _Amazing!_

Kihyun nodded, looking away and trying to suppress a smile. He noticed Changkyun rolling his eyes, but there’s a grin on his face. “Something wrong, Changkyun?”

“No, hyung,” the werewolf said, tilting his head to the side with an exaggerated look of innocence.

Kihyun huffed a bit. He then looked at Minhyuk again, who was watching their banter with a smile that was a little sad. That put Kihyun in a solemn mood again. “So… Prince Minhyuk?”

Minhyuk’s head snapped to him, and he shook his head. _Just Minhyuk,_ he mouthed.

“I’m not sure—” Another shake of the head. “Well, alright then, Minhyuk,” Kihyun said carefully, testing the name without the title on his tongue. It didn’t feel too bad. “So… what are you going to do with your… situation?”

Minhyuk blinked. It was an uneven blink, and Kihyun had never seen anyone with an uneven blink before, but how cute that was wasn’t important. Kihyun followed the elf’s eyes, which were trained on the parchments containing his unfinished story. Minhyuk had only gotten the chance to tell them that he had been on the run for ten days, moving from one place to another in random patterns, navigating through forests mostly, and had only recently been able to lose the Boghul soldiers sent out to hunt him down.

The name of the Kingdom of Boghul came as a shock to Kihyun, but it was only because he had not heard it in years. The fact that the smaller kingdom finally launched an attack on Allin was not surprising. Kihyun knew it would have happened sooner or later. Kihyun knew they had been preparing for war ever since half of its people abandoned the land for the more prosperous Allin a decade ago. But Kihyun kept all this in his head as he handed Minhyuk the quill.

 _I need to find a fragment of the celestial stones to bring back to my kingdom. We couldn’t defend ourselves because our magic has been getting weaker. Our connection to magic has been fading because everyone had been taking it for granted now that the Kingdom_ ~~_is_ _was_~~ _is prosperous._

Kihyun honestly wasn’t expecting such a detailed answer. He actually didn’t expect Minhyuk to answer at all. How could he just lay this all out on him and Changkyun? Kihyun’s hand shot out to stop Minhyuk from continuing. “Wait,” he said, releasing his hold on the prince’s wrist as soon as he had the man’s attention, “How—I mean, this is very important information?”

Minhyuk just looked at him, and Kihyun read it as: _Yes, and…?_

“W-well, why do you trust us so easily? Why are you telling us this? What if we are allied to Boghul?” Kihyun asked in one breath, looking directly into the elf’s dark irises. Even with his curls flaky and muddy, Minhyuk still looked every bit of the elven prince that he was. But Kihyun didn’t say that out loud.

Minhyuk stared at him for so long that Kihyun could feel his face heating up. _Because I have a feeling I could trust you,_ he finally wrote simply. _I_ ~~_just_~~ _apologize, I do not mean to burden you with this kind of information. Perhaps I should have just said that I would leave in the morning, or at least until the storm ceases._

It was Kihyun’s turn to shake his head. He didn’t know what made him do it so quickly, but he really was not—he just did not _know_ what to make of the situation. He was not exactly trying to kick Minhyuk out. He did not even know if he wanted to, or if he needed to. Kihyun just… everything that had happened so far just threw him off his balance, disrupted his calm. He was just supposed to spend the night peacefully with Changkyun, maybe practice drawing more complicated runes. He was supposed to go to bed surrounded by the sound of the howling rainstorm outside and mourn over his gardens in the morning. He was supposed to live in seclusion forever, just minding his own business and maybe move somewhere farther South when he was ready.

He was not supposed to save an elven prince and feed him and listen to his stories. He was not supposed to feel the need to help him.

Kihyun had been hoping that he would never have to hear that the place he used to call home had finally set out to ruin other kingdoms.

There were warm hands covering his trembling ones. Kihyun didn’t realize that they had been trembling or know how many minutes had passed. When Kihyun was reeling because of rampant thoughts running around in his head, the outside world became irrelevant. When Kihyun looked up, Minhyuk was close, looking up at him with a small frown between his eyebrows.

“I—” Kihyun started, but his throat was dry. He looked at a worried Changkyun, hovering close behind Minhyuk who was kneeling in front of him. “It was not my intention to sound as if your presence here is unwelcome, Prin—Minhyuk.”

Minhyuk nodded, still looking worried and still not letting go of Kihyun’s hands. _I understand_ , he mouthed.

Kihyun closed his eyes and took deep breaths, exhaling through his lips. He opened his eyes and said, “I’m sorry but… this is a lot to take in, and I hope… I hope you would not mind continuing this talk tomorrow, Minhyuk?”

Minhyuk’s eyes went wide as he nodded frantically, letting go of Kihyun’s hands to write: _Of course! It would be best to when you are rested!_

Reading it, Kihyun could feel a relieved smile tugging at his lips.

“You should rest, too. You look like need it more than we do,” Changkyun said from behind Minhyuk, and the elf prince looked back to Kihyun as if asking if that was alright with him.

“Of course, yes,” Kihyun said quickly, but then realized that he hadn’t thought about sleeping arrangements at all. His room was absolutely out of question—not that it was in a terrible state (it never was, unless a particular spell frustrated him) (which was also a very rare occurrence), it was more about how he really couldn’t let some stranger in his private space, elven prince or not. That left them with Changkyun’s sleeping roll and the couch in front of the fireplace. When Kihyun renovated the abandoned house he was now living in, he did not even factor in the possibility of meeting other people, much less a guest that stayed over, so he did not add an extra bedroom.

Changkyun probably sensed his distress, so he said, “I hope you don’t mind sleeping out here with me. My bed roll is very comfy, and Kihyun-hyung’s room is so dusty that anyone beside him would have trouble breathing being in there for too long.”

Minhyuk nodded, but he wrote down: _Do you mind if I wash up a little? My scalp is very itchy. I’m sure there’s a twig or two in it._

That prompted chuckles from Changkyun and Kihyun both, and everyone’s shoulders finally really relaxed for the first time that night. “Changkyun-ah, would you show him where the bath is? I’ll find some towels and clothes.”

 

* * *

 

Kihyun listened to the receding storm outside, to the sounds of the steady drizzle the rain had become, frogs creaking in the distance. The sky hadn’t cleared enough to let the moonlight through, so Kihyun lit a small candle and put it on his bedside table. He already changed into his pajamas, a pair of worn out cotton shirt and pants best for the pleasant summer nights, clothes that were warm enough but would not make him wake in a sweaty mess in the next morning. He still needed to wash up, the phantom wetness from when Minhyuk’s body touched his feet still lingering on his skin. But the elf prince had just gotten into the bath, so Kihyun just sat there on his bed, looking at his own toes, wiggling them in the dimness of his room.

There was a knock on his door, and Kihyun could feel it was Changkyun. “Come in, Changkyun-ah.”

Changkyun’s ears and prominent nose peeked in first. “Hyung, can I talk to you?”

“Yes, come sit,” Kihyun patted the space beside him, and Changkyun shuffled inside after closing the door softly behind him.

“I gave Minhyuk-hyung his towels and clothes,” Changkyun started as he tried to bounce on Kihyun’s bed. He pouted when he found that it wasn’t fluffy enough.

“Thank you,” Kihyun said. “Really, thank you so much for being here, Changkyun-ah.”

“Good thing it rained, huh?” Changkyun said, nudging Kihyun’s shoulder. “But well… your cabbages…”

“Let’s leave that for tomorrow, too,” Kihyun sighed forlornly, rubbing the tall bridge of his nose.

It was silent for a while. Both men stared at the shadows in the room. “Are you going to help him?” Changkyun asked softly.

Kihyun took his time in answering. He felt Changkyun probably had known his answer. “I want to, you know more than anyone how… how I would take this chance. But I don’t know if… if I’m ready?”

Changkyun nodded because of course he knew Kihyun. “I think you’re more than ready. But well, whatever decision you choose in the morning, just know that you’ll always have my full support. But I’m looking forward to you going back to civilization, though.”

Kihyun was actually tearing up a bit, but he hid it by putting an arm around Changkyun’s shoulders and ruffling his hair. Changkyun groaned, his tail hitting Kihyun’s back. “Cheeky kid. Go to sleep.”

“Yes, mom.”

Kihyun made to grab Changkyun’s tail, but the werewolf was quick to jump to his feet and escape. He called back a good night, laughter in his voice, and Kihyun shook his head. The wizard sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Perhaps Changkyun was right. And perhaps, deep inside, Kihyun knew that something was bound to happen. And he knew, all too well, that it was not in his nature to just keep ignoring things. It had been long enough. 

 

* * *

 

Kihyun opened his eyes, surprised at how well-rested he was feeling. Perhaps a knot of emotions in him had finally become undone last night when he made his decision. The sun was only beginning to rise, and Kihyun felt good. He was still nervous, but it was a different kind of nervousness. He got up, washed his face on the basin he had brought in last night after washing up, made his bed, and quietly exited his room.

Padding slowly to the living room area, he could hear soft snores coming from Changkyun. He was curled up in his wolf form, his dark grey fur soft under the dying fire. When Kihyun’s eyes landed on Minhyuk’s face, his breath caught. Kihyun stared at the peaceful expression on the elf prince’s face, soft in a relaxed sleep, and Kihyun was somehow glad that he seemed to be sleeping well. Kihyun’s face heated up even though there was no one to catch him staring, so he quickly turned to his kitchen to prepare breakfast before he could fix Minhyuk’s blanket or something.

Kihyun could hear the sounds of Changkyun waking up as he stirred the rice he was cooking, the smell of egg, butter and basil permeating the air. He could hear the soft pitter-patter of paws approaching before Changkyun’s wet nose touched his elbow. The werewolf then put his front paws on the counter in an attempt to see what was inside the pot.

“No paws on the counter, Changkyun-ah,” Kihyun admonished, and Changkyun huffed before nipping at his arm. “Go wake him up, wouldn’t you?” Kihyun asked, chuckling and ruffling Changkyun’s ear.

Changkyun went away and Kihyun went back to preparing breakfast. The rice looked ready, the bits of chicken in it cooked just right. With a wave of his hand, Kihyun extinguished his fire, licking at his wooden ladle and nodding at himself when the rich taste filled his mouth. He took out three bowls and filled them, adding just a bit more rice into Minhyuk’s bowl. It wasn’t for any other reason than to help the elf prince recover. Kihyun wasn’t the type who became _fond_ of people in such a short time.

When Kihyun was contemplating on what to serve for drinks—chilled milk? Tea? Freshly squeezed orange?—Minhyuk trudged to the dining area and dropped his butt on a chair, making it skid backwards noisily. Kihyun turned sharply in shock, and his wide eyes did not immediately go back to their normal size when he saw the prince. Minhyuk’s hair was an adorable mess, some curls laid flat on his temple, but the hairs on the crown of his hair were sticking up. His blinks were so slow that he looked like he only had one eye open, a loose pout on his lips completing the look. He yawned, covering his mouth with a long-fingered hand. Scratching his head, he looked up and noticed Kihyun staring. His sleepy smile perhaps rivaled the sun out there, and Kihyun tried to dismiss the thought (and the ticklish feeling in his chest and stomach).

Once Changkyun was back to his human form, fully dressed, and seated beside Minhyuk, they immediately started their breakfast. Kihyun watched how Minhyuk waited until everyone had their spoons and glasses of milk before digging in. Kihyun made sure to chew his food properly while paying close attention to Minhyuk’s expressions. The elf prince was still half awake, but with every spoonful of rice, he grew more and more awake. Kihyun fiddled with his glass, playing with the condensation pooling around it.

Kihyun was a little unsettled when breakfast went without much talk made. Well, he guessed it was fair, since the elf prince was cursed and all, and Changkyun had always been a quiet kid. Changkyun excused himself first to go and take a walk outside, and he left Kihyun and Minhyuk on the table. The red-haired wizard was staring blankly at a whorl on the wooden surface of his table, while Minhyuk looked down at his bowl, still holding his spoon in his mouth.

Kihyun startled when Minhyuk poked his finger. He looked up and saw Minhyuk holding up a filled piece of paper. Kihyun could see a few things listed on it.

 

  1. _Thank you again for everything, Kihyun._
  2. _Have you made your decision?_



 

Kihyun stopped reading to look at Minhyuk in the eyes and say, “Yes, I have. I… I’m not going to kick you out. In fact, I’m offering to help you.”

Minhyuk’s eyes went wide as if he really hadn’t expected that. But maybe he had, or he was just good at thinking ahead, coming up with many possibilities, because he was quick to add something to the list.

 _Are you sure?_ Kihyun nodded. _Well, I am not going to lie to myself or anyone, so I am not going to hide how happy and relieved I am to have come across someone who—_

Minhyuk hesitated in writing his next words. Kihyun understood; he still also had not found the right words to describe them. There were still so many things unsaid, unknown, but… “You’re glad you have come across someone who would listen?” Kihyun finished for him.

Minhyuk smiled, bright and toothy, and Kihyun found himself smiling back. _Yes, exactly. However, I am well aware that there is a possibility that you would want something in return…?_

Kihyun’s smile got a little wider. “Well, of course. I’ve thought about it all night.”

 _You look a little scary, smiling like that,_ Minhyuk wrote. _If you want my position as a prince—_

“Gods, no!” Kihyun broke into a laughter. “No, please spare me from that. And for the record, I don’t want riches either.”

Minhyuk’s smile stayed on his face as he wrote: _anything for the Great Wizard Kihyun!_

Said wizard rolled his eyes. “Riches don’t grow on trees. But trees grow and bear fruit, and _that_ can sustain me.”

Minhyuk titled his head questioningly.

Kihyun got up to his feet. “I heard elves of Allin are very good with plants?”

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll try updating regularly on weekends! So it's either Fri/Sat/Sun!
> 
> Thank you so much for everyone who's reading this. We still have a quite long way to go, so please treat this story well m(_ _)m
> 
>  
> 
> [update: May 24th, 2018]  
> I will be focusing on my studies for a while, updates will hopefully be back on mid-June!


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